Printing press ink motion enclosures



Oct. 7, 1958 B. AULT EIAL PRINTING PRESS INK MOTION ENCLOSURES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 8, 1955 INVENTOR5 Oct. 7, 1958 B. AULT EIAL 2,

PRINTING PRESS INK MOTION ENCLOSURES Filed July 8, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. M M y -y m United States Patent PRINTING PRESS INK MOTION ENCLOSURES Broxnwell Ault, Redding, Conn., and Emory W. Worthington, Dobbs Ferry, N. Y.

Application July 8, 1955, Serial No. 520,667

2 Claims. (Cl. 101-350) This invention relates to enclosures for printing press ink motions, and more particularly to enclosures for ink motions where the ink motion is supported in frame structures forming a carriage which is moved toward the plate cylinder or cylinders of a printing unit to bring the form rollers into operating relation thereto and moved back away from the printing unit when not in operation so as to make the various parts accessible for replating of cylinders and for other changes and adjustments.

One general object of the invention is to provide an enclosure for the ink motion parts which will prevent drying out of the ink upon the rollers and other elements during periods of idleness and when the ink motion is separated from the plate cylinders.

A second object is to provide an enclosure of the character indicated in which the closure elements are brought into operation automatically when the ink motion carriage is moved back away from the cylinders.

A third object is to provide an enclosure of the type indicated which will also afford a maximum of enclosure and protection against evaporation while the machine is operating or while the ink motion is in operating position with respect to the plate cylinder.

A fourth object is to provide an enclosure which permits the use of ink containing highly volatile solvents by comparison with those now customarily used and which, hence, permits operating at high printing speeds Without the use of dryers provided with high temperature heaters.

Printing units embodying the invention in preferred forms will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing and the features forming the invention will then be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a schematic side elevation view of a printing unit embodying the invention in a preferred form, and (sihowing the ink motion moved back from the plate cyliners;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 and showing the ink motion moved into inking position with relation to the plate cylinders;

Figure 3 is a detail section and perspective view taken on and looking in the direction of the arrows 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing a modified form of the invention;

Figure 5 is a side elevation of a still further modification; and

Figure 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

The enclosure of printing machinery and various parts thereof to prevent evaporation has been proposed, both in intaglio and relief printing, and such enclosures have been utilized With varying degrees of success. In some types of equipment, and notably in rotogravure printing machinery, practically the entire printing cylinder may be within the enclosure and the drying of ink upon the exposed part thereof will present. no serious problem, as

any such dried ink is readily removed upon resumption of printing. In other cases, as where an ink motion bears a fixed relationship to its plate cylinder, the enclosure of the ink motion parts again presents no serious difiiculty. However, in printing machinery in which the ink motion is moved bodily to and from the plate cylinder and through a considerable distance, there has hitherto been no practical way of protecting the ink motion surfaces, and such machinery has, accordingly, been limited to the use of relatively non-volatile inks, requiring considerable heat for drying the printed web and involving correspondingly considerable shrinkage therein. Where a number of printing cylinders are grouped around a common impression cylinder for printing the successive colors, high speed multicolor printing of a satisfactory character has been obtained. Where, however, the web is led over two or more impression cylinders in printing on a single side, difficulty has been experienced due to the fact that set 01f or smudging between impression cylinders is apt to occur, while drying the web in its passage between impression cylinders is apt to cause shrinkage and make it difficult to maintain registry.

The present invention permits operation with inks containing relatively highly volatile solvents and, hence, capable of high speed printing without excessive heat or, in many cases, any heat at all in the drying equipment and hence, facilitates high speed operation while maintaining accurate register.

In a machine according to the invention, all ink carrying elements for the ink motion are enclosed during non-operating periods and may be maintained in a refrigerated or solvent saturated atmosphere so as to keep evaporation to a minimum. Moderate positive or negative pressure differences with respect to atmospheric may be maintained, where desired, so as to insure against contamination of the press room atmosphere with harmful solvent vapors and to reduce fire and explosion hazard or so as to insure against leakage of air into the enclosed space. The operating parts which carry ink are also effectively enclosed during the printing operation, provision being made for including the plate cylinders within the enclosed space or excluding them therefrom according to whether the unit is printing or not.

There is shown in Figure 1 part of a printing machine structure of generally conventional form and including bed plate or sill frame members 10, printing press side frames 11 and upper frame members 12. An impression cylinder 13 carried in the frame member 11 (and corresponding frame, not shown, at its other end) cooperates with two plate cylinders 14 for printing upon the web 15. As will be apparent from the following description, the mechanism of the invention may be employed with printing units having only a single plate cylinder 14 or with printing units having more than two such cylinders, the mode of such application being obvious, however, from the application to units using two such plate cylinders, which is described herein.

A carriage including side frame members 20 supports the ink motions for movement toward (Fig. 2) and away from (Fig. l) the plate cylinders 1 5-. In the case illustrated, there are two ink motions, each comprising a fountain 21, fountain roller 22, ductor 23 and ink drums and transfer rollers as indicated, which terminate in form rollers 24 for engaging the plate cylinders 14 and inking the same.

The upper ink motion is closed in by walls or panels 30, 31 and 32, by a plate 33 attached to the upper frame members 12 and by a slidable curtain 34, while the lower ink motion is closed in by the partition 32 previously referred to and by further panel or wall elements 35 and 36, the bed of the machine and a further curtain element 37.

"to that of Fig. 1.

,prises a number of l h o s ats ea h ca ied on 9 foot member 41 which is sl da' e h n a l rmer! i a uide m e attached t he f ame emb 2 -Flexible curtain 37 is fixed to ;a batten or rod 45 attached t the bed pl te a th uppe flex bl cu tain 1 1 similarly attached to .astationary'batten 46 which is secured to th upper'frame'members 1 2. As the ink motion carriage is moved from the retractedpositicn of Figure 1 to the operatingposition of Figure 2, the flexible curtains 34 and 37 ,sin,ce their respective upper and lower ends are fixed to the stationary frarnesvltl and IL-automatically are withdrawn, thustexposing the entire :side of the'ink motion'faing the plate cylinder 14, and in particiilar, exposing the form rollers, permitting them to come into contact with the-plate cylinders 14. Whenthe carriage is retracted to the position ofFigure l, the flexible curtains will automatically slide along their guide grooves,

thus enclosing both inklrnotions, coming .up and down respectively until they-meet the center partition 32.

In the operating position ofFigure 2, the ends of the curtains 34 and37 may abut against closure plates 50 and 51 associated with the mainframe 11. Each of these closure plates extends close to one of the plate cylinders, and follows its arc around to a point where it almost touches the web passing around the impression cylinder 13, thus forming an eifectiveenclosure. The edge 52 of the carriage frame '20 maybe shaped'to conform to the edge 53 of the main frame 11, and either of these membersrnay be provided withagasket, if desired, so as to form an effective enclosure in the operating position of Fig. 2. Transparent windows 55 maybe provided in the frame 20 orin any of the panels wherever desired, so

that the parts within the enclosure may be inspected. It

will also be understood thatany of-the panelelements 30,

31, 35 and 36 may be partly or wholly hinged or removablesoas to furnish access to the .ink motion elements when needed. Since the fountain proper, 21, maybe outside the enclosure, ink may be added as needed by merely lifting the fountain covers for this purpose and withoutdislturbing the enclosure in general.

Flexible hose connections 56 may be made to either or both of the enclosures for the ink motions or to the two enclosures jointly, as -desired; and these connections may be used for anydesired purpose. For example, liquid 'solvent or solvent vapor may be introduced in regulated gquantrtres through one of the connections 56 and air and'vapor exhausted through the other, so as to maintain the'enclosed space either .at-atmospheric pressure or at such h1gher or lower pressure as may be desirable. Al-

ternatively, the enclosed spaces may be refrigerated by circulating solvent laden inert gas through the same by means of the connections 56 and also through a suitable refrigerating system. As will be apparent, the structure lends itself to air conditioning and solvent recovery with no difiiculty whatsoever.

The structure shown in Fig. 4 is generally similar However, the partition 32 has been fitted with a shoe 32'.against which thecurtain 34 slides, and onlya single such curtain is employed for both ink motions. In this case, the upper end of the curtain may be mounted on a spring and ratchet roller 46' similarly to any suitable flexible material. .To facilitate the use of a singlecurtain, it will..be ,notedthat the profiles 52', v53' of the frames 20 and 11' have been-somewhatsimplified.

This, however, introduces no essential difference in the operation.

Figure 5 show an ink motion carriage closure structure adapted to use with a main frame carrying the plate cylinders (not shown) having the general contour indicated by the dotted line 60. Such frame contour generally following the printing cylinder profiles is common and conventional. While the leading of the enclosing curtain element or elementsalong .sucha contour as that indicated by the dotted line 60 could be accomplished, it is preferred to maintain a relatively straight path for the curtain 34 This is accomplished by attaching to the frame 20 an extension :61 .in which is .formed a gro ve 62 f r li bly guiding the curtain 34 The element 61 may come out around the mainframe elements corresponding to the elements 11 and 11' except for profile and overlap the same in sealing or non-sealing relation. The main frame leme t ma of Pou s? be rpl n r by mb m a t t member 6. and a e in e th, s desi 'What is claimed is 1. In a relief printing press having printing cylinders ,mounted in a stationary ,frame and cooperating ink motion elements mountedin side frames forming part of a 'ments'to prevent evaporation of volatile components of ink thereon and including ,a flexible curtain cooperating with the ink' carriage side frame edges facing the stationary frames and movable between a position for completing the enclosure of the said 'spaceand aposition opening a side of the said space t0-permit;c ooperation of inking elements -with'the printing-cylinders,,and grooved guide members along the said ink-carriage side frame edges slidably receiving thecurtain.

'2. 'In'arelief printing; press having printing cylinders mounted in a stationary frame and cooperating ink mo- 'tion elements mountedin side frames forming part of a movable carriage wherebythe ink motion elements may be broughtinto an operating position and may be moved 'back from-saidoperating position to furnish access tothe printing cylinders, the combination with the carriage side frames of closure elements for forming therewith an enclosed space'around the ink motion elements to prevent 'evaporationof volatile components of ink thereon and 50' including a curtaincooperating with the ink carriage side frame edgesfacing the stationary frames and movable between a positionfor completing the enclosure of the 'said space and a position opening a side of the said space to permit cooperation of 'the inking elements with the printing cylinders, grooved guide members along the said ink carriage side frame edges slidably receiving the curtain, and means attaching one end of the curtain to :a member fixed withrelation to the said stationary frame, whereby the movement of the said carriage and the sliding of the curtain in the said guides caused thereby closes the 'said space upon the moving back of the carriageandopens it upon the moving of the carriage toward operating .position.

References Cited in the-file ofthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,843,142 Quick .et al. Feb. 2, 1932 "2,026,480 Dec. 31, 1935 21 .25.1 .29 s w Aue- 4 

